Breathe Old Ver!
by AvaRicious
Summary: Currently, this fic is pretty much dead. Lack of inspiration, and lack of interest. :) Check out the new one instead, if you will...
1. Regrets

A/N- the dash things (-) are for thoughts. Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or any of the characters but I do own the original ones and the story. So...don't take it for your own... Feel free to review. :)  
Chapter 1- Regrets  
  
Allen sighed... he ran a hand through his long golden hair.  
  
-Why?- he thought, -Why must it always be this way?-  
  
The homely pub he currently resided in was warm and cozy. It had a low ceiling; a restored guest house, he came here often when he needed to think.  
  
He felt so angry. So helpless, it was as though fate had just dropped its merciless hand into his life once again and taken away his sister. Leaving him powerless to resist it. Millerna too. She had recently been crowned the new Queen of Asturia in the Late King Aston's stead. With no-one to talk to, he had only himself in this pub... (His rowdy group of soldiers were his closest friends. But without his knighthood, they were no longer assigned to him.)  
  
Allen was lonely and depressed. He was slowly reverting back to his old state of mind. And no-one was there to help him through it. No-one noticed. No-one cared.  
  
He gestured to the barman, "Trad. Another drink."  
  
* * *  
  
In the centre of the city, high up in the private chambers of the new Queen, a beautiful young woman sat upon a luxurious window seat. Richly clothed, she restlessly fondled a worn leather bound diary which had belonged to her older sister, Marlene. Her nephew, Chid, had given it to her as a present. "Chid..." she murmured, "You are wise beyond your years. I am so, sorry that you must carry the heavy burden of the restoration of your country."  
  
Millerna sat on the soft velvet cushion below the tall, narrow window watching the hustle and bustle of the city below. She looked sorrowful, her purple-blue eyes were blank... hiding the pain she felt inside.  
  
* * *  
  
On a bridge above the gently flowing river, a slim girl sat with her legs dangling over the edge. She was dressed oddly, in that she wore a cloak which was presently folded next to her; it made her too hot to wear in the sun. She had only one set of clothes she ever wore, some skin-tight trousers too short to call trousers yet too long to call shorts. She wore a loose shirt that fell below her narrow hips and her whole outfit was plain, fading black. The girl was deceptively young, if anyone cared to take a closer look they would see she was in her late teens- around 17.  
  
Although she would be described as a wandering peasant she was not dirty, nor was she scruffy, and she spoke with the remnants of a person with an educated background. The girl had auburn hair of an indeterminable length which glinted gold in the midday sun. It was tied up tightly to keep it out her face, but despite this, a few unruly strands had escaped and gently framed her face. She reached up to tuck them behind her ears when she heard footsteps behind her.  
  
-Just a passer-by- she thought, and ignored the sound, dropping her head to continue to admire the glistening water beneath her feet. Slowly, she realized the passer-by had stopped... She felt the hairs on the nape of her neck rise to attention. Whoever it was, was watching her.  
  
Reassuringly, she felt her small knife safely tucked away in her belt beneath her shirt, invisible to inquisitive eyes. So, taking a steady breath she readied herself to confront the stranger, only to lose it as soon as she turned.  
  
The stranger was an unusually handsome young man... he was watching her intently, his long golden hair was carelessly thrown over one shoulder while he leant on the other side of the bridge. Apart from his expensive leather trousers and knee-high polished boots, he gave a very casual appearance.  
  
He wore an open necked, loose linen shirt tied around the waist with a purple silk sash. Most of all her attention was drawn to the white hilted samurai sword hanging from his belt. This was no ordinary trader. This was an expert swordsman... maybe... even a knight?  
  
Their eyes locked.  
  
Both were surprised at what they saw in each others eyes. Both saw the remnants of a great loss. Not yet healed. They both had deep blue eyes; the colour of the sky on a sunny, cloudless summer day.  
  
"What do you want..?" The girl whispered "Why... are you watching me?" She found it hard to speak, her voice breathless and heady with... something...  
  
The man with the sky-blue eyes did not deign to reply. He simply continued to watch her to the point where she was about to ask again, when he admitted softly, "I don't know..." 


	2. Dishonour

Chapter 2- Dishonour  
  
His voice was low...so soft and gentle...for a moment she was mesmerised by it. Taken aback by his lilting voice, she snapped out of her trance. "You don't know?" her voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Well who the hell are you then. If you know that even." He looked taken shocked for a brief second but quickly recovered. He smiled charmingly... she shuddered inwardly. That smile...it made her feel..what was it? Attracted to him?? No! "My name is Allen Schezar. A -former- Knight of Caeli. And you are..?" He let the question hang. The girl returned Allen's smile with what she attempted to make as a cold smirk, "You can call me Sky."  
  
Allen smiled again. "Is that your real name?" "Maybe." Sky leered at him, "Are you gonna tell me why you were staring at me?"  
  
-Why am I being so unfriendly? If he was a knight that means he is a gentleman...he would never try anything. But would he? A second voice whispered in her head...'A former Knight...' What had he done to lose his knighthood?-  
  
The smile faded, leaving her feeling cold inside. "I told you I don't know." The charm left his voice replaced first with a kind of regret, then a sort of anger. "I don't know much anymore... but I can tell that you know how to duel. Can you not?"  
  
In one fast movement he leaned forward and grabbed her wrist. He leaned closer and closer...so close she could feel his breath on her face...he smelt of... beer? He was drunk?? How could she not of noticed?!  
  
"What do you say about having a 'friendly' duel?...If I win..." He looked barely aware of his actions. The alcohol was taking its full effect.  
  
She twisted his hand sharply so he let go and quickly grabbed her cloak to stand farther away from him. 'You never mentioned you were drunk.' Her voice carried a note of disgust.  
  
* * *  
  
Allen sank to his knees...drunk...dishonoured...how did he let this happen. Her words hit him like ice. "..Forgive me..." His voice sounded truly sorry...close to tears even.  
  
Sky took a hesitant step forward and then knelt beside him.  
  
"I know you didn't mean it..." -What the hell am I doing?! This guy is a complete stranger!!- "I forgive you. But I think it would be best for you to -"  
  
He cut her off, "No please! Don't leave me alone... I don't know what to do anymore..."  
  
-Geez this guy is a wuss! But... I can't just leave him here...-  
  
"Its alright..." Her voice was soothing, "I'll take you to an inn. Do you have any money?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Right then. Come with me."  
  
Allen slowly rose to his feet and followed her like a lost child, to an inn unfamiliar to him. He sat down on a vacant stool, only vaguely aware of his surroundings. He forced himself not to think... Not to think of the disgrace he was to the Schezar family... How he had let down everyone...Chid...Millerna...his own sister.../Celena/... ...Then everything went dark...  
  
Allen awoke in a strange room to the sound of birds calling. The afternoon sun shone blinding shafts of light across his bed. He was dressed with the same clothes as yesterday, boots and all.  
  
-Where am I?-  
  
He had a splitting headache. That he knew for sure. Then slowly bits at a time... memories of the day before came floationg back to him.  
  
The room he was in was small and low ceilinged with cracked paint, fading yellow from long years, covering the walls. There was a chair and a small table, other than that and the bed, the room was empty.  
  
Then he remembered Sky. Dishonour. He had Dishonoured his family yet again. His head throbbed more painfully as he remembered what he had almost done... she had helped him?...  
  
"I wonder why."  
  
There was a soft knock on the door. Allen sat up and swung his legs over the bed. He felt groggy and shielded his eyes from the bright light of the window - wait a minute... the curtains! Why are they open..? Has someone already been in??  
  
"Hello?" a female voice from the other side of the door, "Can I come in?"  
  
Allen stood up and instantly raised a hand to his throbbing temples. "...Yes."  
  
The door opened and a hooded, cloaked figure stepped in. She shut the door gently behind her. "How are you feeling." It wasn't said as a question...interesting.  
  
"My head is hurting like hell." he replied, "Um...Sky?..Is it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thank you... I am...truly sorry for anything I said or did..." He sounded as though he meant it, "I..." he stuttered, "I... have disgraced my family yet again..." He shook his head minutely.  
  
-I understand how it feels...- Aloud, she said nothing.  
  
"Why... did you help me? After what I was thinking... of doing to you?"  
  
Sky took off her hood and looked at him... even after being drunk and sleeping in the same clothes... he still looked so handsome.  
  
She smiled. A genuine smile. "I don't know. Ironic, huh. I guess it's because you were so drunk you didn't really know what you were doing."  
  
She noticed that as she mentioned him being drunk that he winced.  
  
Allen gazed at her intriguedly. -Hmm... she's almost as tall as me...-  
  
"Lets start again. My name is Allen Schezar."  
  
Sky grinned, the melting blue eyes that were her namesake sparkled. She held out her hand.  
  
"You can call me Sky." 


	3. Until Then

Chapter 3- Until Then...  
  
"Sky...thats an unusual name." This time as Allen smiled she didn't feel a shiver down her spine, "It sounds as though there's a story behind that."  
  
"Not really. They named me after..my eyes, a bit silly really."  
  
"No. I think it suits you." This last comment made her feel uncomfortable.  
  
"...Well. I guess I'll be going now.."  
  
-Aii..That was kinda rude..um..- She struggled to remember her lessons on manners...  
  
"Uh..perhaps i'll...see you...again sometime?"  
  
-Dammit...I don't want to see him again!! He's one of those guys that make you forget yourself when your with them..the kind of guy that...makes you oblivious to everyone but you..and him..-  
  
Sky found herself looking once more into his eyes. The raw pain she had felt from him yesterday seemed more closely guarded now...maybe that was why she had helped him..?  
  
"I'd be delighted." He continued smiling and pulled a folded piece of paper from his shirt, "If you ever need my help. You can find me at my manor at this address. Thank you again.."  
  
Sky awkwardly stepped forward and took the paper from his outstretched hand.  
  
-This feels wrong...like...i'm not meant to leave now...-  
  
She carefully put the paper in a pocket on the inside of her cloak and shrugged off the odd feeling she was getting.  
  
"Goodbye then."  
  
She put on her hood and, breaking her eye contact with him, Sky turned and walked out the room. Closing the door gently as she went.  
  
* * *  
  
Back in the room, Allen sighed, then sitting back down at the little round table he held his head in his hands and stared out of the window seeing nothing of the beautiful architecture of the castle towering above.  
  
  
  
******  
  
Heehee. Second draft, should be betta now...  
  
The only thing I don't like 'bout this chapter is it's a bit short..o well.  
  
--AvaRicE 


	4. Troubled Pasts

Chapter 4-Troubled Pasts  
  
::!FLASH!::  
  
Celena looks up...her silver locks sway gently in the soft wind.......  
  
Her lilac satin dress swirls around her.....  
  
-C-Celena?-  
  
::!FLASH!::  
  
Such sadness...sorrow...a single eye...illuminated in the darkness...  
  
::!FLASH!::  
  
....Blood....  
  
Bodies.....  
  
An empty field...with..blue..forget-me-nots...?  
  
This field...has.a.strange.feeling.  
  
As though...a great injustice were commited here. Long ago...concealed...never exposed...  
  
::!FLASH!::  
  
Sky felt the cold pavings beneath her swollen cheek. She picked herself up and stood uneasily on her feet, swaying queasily in the chill wind.  
  
The weather had changed to reflect her eyes...a misty grey full of swirling doubts...  
  
"What the hell just happened?!" she demanded to know. The only answer she got was a low rumble from the stormy clouds above.  
  
She pulled her cloak more tightly around her to shield herself from the cold wind.  
  
She decided that it was just a day-dream. Nothing more. She shoved the memory of it away. Pushed into the furthest recesses of her mind where it couldn't trouble her. Locked up along with her troubled past.  
  
-Wondering about it won't help me now. I have to find shelter.-  
  
She stopped for a second. And half-turned to look up at the fading city in the distance. Palas.  
  
-We'll see each other again-  
  
With a grim smile she pulled her hood down over her eyes and walked on to face the relentless wind.  
  
So Sky forgot about the Vision.  
  
And like everything else she forced herself to forget.  
  
It would come back to haunt her.  
  
* * *  
  
Millerna looked up at the dark sky in wonder...  
  
-How did the weather change so fast..? If it carries on like this homes may be destroyed...-  
  
"Eries?"  
  
"Millerna."  
  
"Are there any shelters for the people in case of any natural disasters?"  
  
"I believe so."  
  
"What do you mean, you believe so?? Are there any or not?"  
  
"Calm down Millerna. There are some underground shelters...but..."  
  
"But??"  
  
"They have not been in use for some time. They may no longer be safe."  
  
"But what if this storm gets worse? The people will have no-where to go!"  
  
"You must understand Millerna. There is nothing we can do now. After the weather calms I will personally make sure the old shelters are restored."  
  
"......"  
  
"Millerna?"  
  
"That doesn't help them now."  
  
"Oh Millerna..." Millerna's older sister sounded patronising. That tone annoyed her most. She was about to tell her how much she hated it when she remembered Eries wouldn't argue but simply back down and ignore her. Instead she summoned her patience and spoke politely.  
  
"Please leave me in peace."  
  
"As you wish." As she usually did Eyries left silently. Without complaint or a sign of discontent. Hiding it as the well-trained advisor/princess she was.  
  
Millerna was in the castle gardens. A labrynth of hedges, only she and the gardeners who made it knew it like the back of hand, having spent her childhood adventuring in it and being repeatedly chided for her torn dresses and grass-stained silk socks.  
  
As she turned to go in her purple veil tore in the strong wind, releasing her pale, long blonde hair to stream out behind her like a banner.  
  
"Oh..!" Realising she wouldn't be able to retrieve it she rolled her eyes to glance again at the grey, cloud-filled sky above it...for a second she let her mind wander and the image of his face appeared in her mind...  
  
"Allen..." She bowed her head and as she walked back in the direction of the castle a tiny tear managed to squeeze out of her eye...Whether it was the strong wind or the thought of her lost love, it was impossible to tell.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
Authors Note- Soz for all those Millerna haters but hey, she's not exactly my favourite character either ok? Try to be mature enough accept other ppl's opinons.  
  
hehe so what'd u lot think of this? I'm starting to get an idea of how i'm gonna write this...its my first fan-fic by the way...I still appreciate ideas tho!! don't forget to review!!!  
  
2nd draft now...Oh and thanx 4 da spelling on Eries name ice princess!!  
  
-- AvaRicE 


	5. My Condolences to you, Sir

Chapter 5- My Condolences To You, Sir.  
  
After gathering the few posessions he still had with him, Allen made his way to the thick-set wooden door of his tiny room. He had glanced back to check it was empty, when something caught his eye.  
  
He walked half-way across the room and kneeled upon the floor.  
  
-What's this..?-  
  
In his hand Allen held a black leather cord draped across his fingers. Laying snug in the middle of his palm, the black cord slung through it, a creamy silver ring winked up at him, the sun still shining strong through the tall window. The glint of silver was what had caught his eye.  
  
-It must be Sky's..-  
  
Shrugging, Allen pocketed the cord and ring. Then, after checking the room once again, he took his leave of the little inn and headed back towards his manor, a resolute look in his deep blue eyes.  
  
* * * *  
  
Allen slung open the door of his home.  
  
-There's probably no-one here anyway.-  
  
As he stood in the hall of the house he had spent his childhood in, Allen felt floods of memories drowning him all at once. There were some happy ones- they're always are...but thinking of the happy always leaves you to dwell on what your left with now. Nothing. Which leaves you to think of Why. Thus, Allen stood alone in the remnants of the once impressive hallway, thinking of his father.  
  
-Oh yes...Father had been first to leave- He thought bitterly -...Then Celena...and then...- His throat tightened and he bowed his head, letting the silky threads of golden hair hide his face.  
  
-...Mother...and now Celena again.-  
  
"Why did you all leave me?" he voiced the thoughts that had tormented him for so long.  
  
"I don't understand!" Allen's empty voice echoed round the hall. Empty. Like his home. Like his life. Empty.  
  
Finally. He let go. Allen was tired. So tired...to have to hold everything in for so long...the barrier his mind had built, to hold back those impowering emotions. Collapsed.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU ALL LEAVE ME LIKE THAT??" Allen fell to his knees, "Like this..." he whimpered, but he no longer cared.  
  
-Let them laugh. I don't care.- Let who laugh?...Who..? Who is left?!  
  
For how long Allen lay sprawled in the hall shouting out his anguish, screaming, it was hard to tell. Overwhelmed with his losses, he continued to question why..Why??! until his voice had become hoarse, when he sat up. Silent now. Allen had realised. Realised that no-one was going to answer the questions burning inside him, but to open up after so long had felt good nonetheless.  
  
Allen stood up straight, but to an onlooker, it would seem that he was carrying a heavy burden, one that no-one could help him with. Swaying ever so slightly, and with his head bowed, Allen approached the lengthy flight of stairs at the other end of the hall. The young swordsman seemed to have aged greatly in the last few days and appeared to walk as though in a dream.  
  
Inside though, Allen's head was reeling with thoughts, one thing he knew for sure. He was leaving, not just Astoria, his home, but himself too. All the manners, politics, and memories he would leave behind him this very day.  
  
He had tried to deal with his past, but had failed. So now he will run. As the only other option was to end his miserable existence, Allen spat at this thought.  
  
-He's not worth it. That piece of shit can go @&*%$ for all I care because he's not getting this swordsman. Not until i'm old and frail and unable to fight.-  
  
Allen continued walking upwards until he came to a dead end, when he looked above him at the ancient wooden trapdoor shut tightly. It was too high up to reach so Allen came back with a chair and stood bent above it, tugging at the rusted metal ring. The trap-door showed no signs of moving.  
  
Realising it wasn't going to budge, Allen sat upon the chair thinking of a way to force it open. He stood up again and inspected the wood around the edges more closely. Having been kept in the same position for so long, the wood had begun to rot and felt softer around its sides. Jumping lightly off the chair, Allen headed out of the corridor and a few minutes later, returned with a long, slightly dented metal pole, probably from the ruined kitchen below.  
  
As Allen had explored the house, while looking for something to open the trapdoor with, he had discovered that some petty thieves had crept in after finding the door unlocked and stolen food. He knew they were only inexperienced pickpockets, as they had only stolen the food stores, then left the rest of the more valuable items in the manor intact.  
  
Standing once again upon the chair, Allen wedged one end of the pole into the side of the little door, then pushed it the other way like a lever. After listening for an encouraging soggy, splintering sound, he began to push harder. After a final crack, Allen jumped blithely to one side as the door collapsed, crashing down onto the chair, splitting it in two.  
  
-Damn it...now I have to get another one...Sorry Mother.- Allen grimaced as he cleared the remains of one of his mothers beloved chairs from beneath the opening in the ceiling to clear a space for another.  
  
After retrieving another chair identical to the previous one. Allen climbed up and peered blindly into the dusty attic. More memories. Allen grunted, he hadn't thought it possible for there to be more that he had forgotten. Still standing on the chair, Allen stretched out both his arms and searched vainly for the candles and matches that he knew should be there. Groping across the dusty floor his hands reached out and found what he was looking for, then dragged them into the light below.  
  
After a few attempts Allen lit the candle and held it above is head, while he looked again into the musty, neglected attic.  
  
What Allen saw looked no different to how he had left it, the layers of dust from six years lay undisturbed, covering the worthless junk left to him by his ancestors, and an ornate wooden chest. Ignoring the piles of unrecognisable objects laying around him, Allen walked hesitantly through the dust. The musty room made the silence almost unbearable, broken only by the gentle thud of his footsteps.  
  
"We meet again." Allen stood in front of the chest. He felt no regrets, nothing was left to him now.  
  
Kneeling down, he gently lifted the lid and stared down at its contents. Then, reaching in, Allen pulled out what seemed to be a rough navy blue piece of cloth but as it unravelled, it showed its true form to be that of a cloak. He slung the garment over his arm then reached in to retrieve the next object, a golden band. It gleamed dimly in the candlelight. His long fingers traced the circlet of gold and felt a piece of himself restored, the part that cared nothing of courtesy and politics, but the part that longed to be free without the restrictions and rules that are a part of society. Allen reached into the chest a last time and withdrew a dark hilted sword. It gleamed a dark blue in the dim light but without it, it was a deep pitch-black. Reaching down to his belt, he unbuckled the ivory- cream hilted sword, that had served him so long, then replaced it with the black one. Gently, he lay the ivory sword in the chest and closed it once again. Allen stood, then without a backward glance returned to the opening in the floor.  
  
"Free..."  
  
* * * *  
  
Authors Note- Finally some angst. Soz if i'm not too good...and soz I disappeared 4 a bit. I had writers block -_- Bleh. This is the longest chapter I fink I've eva written... *Update..* Second draft..there shouldn't be so many typos now ^^;;  
  
~ AvaRicE 


	6. Like A Mirror

Authors Note- I know this took -AGES- for me to do...I can't help it _ Coursework is just too much for me...and drawing comes first I'm afraid. But anyway, I'm quite proud of this chapter, though I still have no idea how this story will turn out...But please review with any ideas you have and comments of course. ^^ So...yeah. Enjoy ^_~  
(Urei is japanese for sorrowful and Yogunsha is Japanese for prophetess.)  
btw, Tsu's real name is Mangetsu, they call him Tsu cos they think his full name is really girlish (full moon)  
  
Chapter 6- Like A Mirror  
::6 MONTHS LATER::  
  
In a deserted region far east of Astoria, a tall, slender girl was fleeing for her life.   
Closer up, the girls appearance was that of a neglected prisoner. She clutched an ancient, rusty knife in one hand, and sliced vainly at the long stalks of bamboo rising just above her head to try to clear a path for herself. Every few seconds she would glance desperately back behind her as the angry shouting of two men got louder. The girl was panting badly. It didn't seem as though she'd had much exercise recently; she was bathed in sweat and the late afternoon sun was cruelly burning her pale, sun-deprived skin. In her mind she wished for darkness to descend and hide her from those evil bastards.   
  
Once more the girl looked back, but this time, as she tripped, a hopeless sob escaped her as she felt a sharp stab of pain in her ankle and she knew she could not escape. She scrambled to her feet and limped on despite the throbbing pain in her foot which had now faded to a dull ache. The shouting grew ever closer.  
* * * *  
The two men, although dirty with the grime and sweat of a few months, were fit and closing in on their prey. They had done this often before; she would not escape this time, nor any other time.  
-She'll be punished for this.- The taller man smirked cruelly at the thought of her anguished screams. -It ain't gonna happen again. Or next time the boss'll punish me aswell...-   
  
But hadn't they all thought that the other times? Three times before, she had managed to escape. And three times before, she had been captured and punished.   
  
-This girl is like an untamed horse. No, not a horse...A panther. Beautiful and wild.- The second man could see her just in front of him now, she had slowed down for some reason. -But like all wild things. She can, and will, be tamed.-  
  
They were right behind her now. She stopped and hung her head, hoping to lessen the punishment she knew would follow after they took her back.   
"Its too late Urei." He mocked her in a sarcastic voice, then canted his head to one side and tried to provoke her, "What's wrong Yogunsha? No more visions to save your delicate skin from a good lashing?" He threw back his head and laughed.  
  
The Urei made no response. Months of 'discipline' from those two men and the rest of them back at their 'camp' had taught her to keep silent. Her face stayed blank but her glassy blue eyes betrayed her, they were cold and hateful, showing just what she would do to him had she only one man to fight and a good night's rest and decent meal in her.  
The first man noticed the look and rose his clenched fist to knock her to the ground, when the other man held back his arm to stop him. "No." He glanced at the Urei with a look that could almost be described as pity, "Leave that job to the man the boss decides to give to."  
  
"Whatever. But don't touch me again. You got that 'Tsu?" He frowned at Tsu then after a slight nod from him he murmured under his breath, "...Weakling..."  
  
Tsu didn't appear to hear him, and walked towards the Urei and grabbed her arm to push her in front of him. He didn't notice her tuck her dagger discreetly under her ragged shirt and suppress a tiny sigh of relief. She walked silently in front with her head still hanging on her chest.  
  
******  
It was dark. The air seemed to grow heavy and press in on you as you walked. But he wasn't walking. High up, he sat waiting, perfectly still. His breathing was muffled, quiet, as though by the humid air itself. All around him, long, dark shadows hung loosely from the ancient gnarled branches of the tree. The twisted branches, made menacing by their distorted shadows in the darkness, reached up and out around him, as though in cold embrace. Like a cage. But he wasn't imprisoned. He was more free than he had ever been in his life, in body and in soul.   
  
Sighing impatiently, he shifted his position and considered what he could kill for his next meal. Then he sighed again as he realised that he couldn't leave this spot until they came, which would probably be a while. By then, there wouldn't be anything to hunt. He sighed again.   
-Dammit. Where are they?! I am not going to wait up here for ever...This had better be good.-  
  
As he shifted himself slightly again, he accidentally shook a branch and let a ghostly shaft of moonlight flash upon him for a few seconds. The light illuminated his long hair, looking like some fallen angel with his face in shadow. A thin circlet of gold, worn by the man, also caught the light and glinted brightly. Then the branch moved back into place and the angelic light was gone.  
  
******  
Still limping, Urei had been walking for hours and darkness had fallen long ago.   
Since she had been caught, she had been taken to their leader by Tsu and the burly man. The leader had ordered for her to be beaten. Her back was now bruised and numb. She couldn't feel anything from it anymore. She was glad for that small comfort.   
The 'Boss' had decided that she just wasn't worth it, a drain on resources and a waste of time, having to repeatedly send out men to trail her and bring her back. So he ordered Tsu to sell her...Or even give her away if need be.   
  
Urei's feet were blistered and sore, her hands tightly knotted with a length of rough rope behind her back. Her face was pale and chalk-like, her eyes hollow and feverish, though the bright blue of them still shone hauntingly bright. Urei weakly shook her head to clear an opening through her long, tangled, greasy dark brown hair so as to see where she was walking. She kept her mind blank lest her emotions were unveiled through her traitorous eyes.  
  
She was so tired she had begun to hallucinate... -Step...Breathe...Step...Breathe...-  
She murmured quietly under each breath '...Nearly...there now....won't be long now...keep stepping forward...forward...' She plodded sluggishly onwards.   
They had entered a humid forest...almost a jungle minus the annoying bugs and killer animals...  
-Hmmm....wonder why we've come here..? Remember to breathe...mustn't forget to...breathe... hmmmm....?- Her thoughts were jumbled.  
Behind her, Tsu stopped, but she was so fatigued she was no longer aware of her surroundings and   
doggedly continued walking. It was so dark Tsu didn't notice; he was busy trying to see where his potential 'buyer' was.  
  
Urei walked slower and slower...she didn't realise until after a while it seemed, that she couldn't lift her legs.   
She glared annoyedly at her bony leg, "Come oon...we still gottta..gooo fuurthher..." her words were slurred 'Dammit...come...onn..'   
The tortured body of The Urei slowly slid to the floor and lay slumped across a massive tree root partly extended above the ground, its roots stretched and permanently cemented, it appeared, into the coarse undergrowth as though it were a part of the earth itself.  
  
******  
Suddenly noticing the absence of the Urei's raspy breathing Tsu swung to face behind him, simultaneously thrusting the dim lantern into the space where she should have been. Nothing stirred.  
"Shit.." He hadn't a clue what to do now. Maybe he should just leave..?  
  
A deep, low voice asked quietly from behind,   
"Ah, so thats what you brought for me to have a look at...Lost her, I see. Shall I find her? It will lower the price quite a bit though..."  
  
Tsu jumped and spun round to face the stranger, "Shit!! Don't do that!!" He cringed as he belatedly processed the voice's offer, "Uh...yeah, the price is...uh...very flexible...find her." He paused, then quietly added, "If you can...she's not so easy...although she /was/ weakened from the long walk..."   
  
Tsu straightened and gazed carefully at the dark, oppressive air in front of him. He could hardly see anything. He lifted the lantern higher. The vague outline of a man's head appeared in the gloom as the dim glow from the lantern shone closer to his face...his features were barely visible though, the only thing clear enough to distinguish were his eyes, bright blue, shining with an intensity that was no match for Tsu's passive personality. He felt himself shudder under the taller man's gaze and inwardly cursed himself for being so weak-minded.  
The stranger smiled. It was a twisted smile in the dim light, the shadows making his face distorted.   
"Then we ought to leave now to find her." He spoke not to Tsu, but to himself, as though he had not considered that Tsu was able to help find her.  
  
The stranger leaped with surprising agility for a man of his height, into the leafy boughs of a nearby tree. Then after a brief rustling, there was silence. Tsu hadn't moved. He blinked.   
"Eh..?"  
******  
  
As he jumped lithely from tree to tree, his hair, dark liquid gold in the muffled light, streamed out behind him. His breath came fast, though he was no-where near tired. Scanning the undergrowth below, he made fast progress, but he still had not found her. He couldn't hear nor smell her anywhere. Pausing, the agile man stopped in the leafy boughs of a tree unusually smaller than the rest. The intense aqua eyes shut lightly and his breathing slowed as he concentrated. Concentrating on any sound that was out of place in the forest. He heard none, then gave it a last try, he shut off his mind from his body, and stayed frozen in position, he listened with his whole being to the forest surrounding him...then...he heard something, and his body twitched slightly; he heard breathing. Faint, weak, and raspy, but breathing nonetheless.   
Straightening, he jumped down to the Forest carpet and walked silently towards the foreign noise.  
  
******  
  
Her mind awoke with a start, but there was something wrong...she tried to open her eyes...and managed to open them only as wide as slits. She could see nothing, so she let them slide closed again.   
-Something...feels wrong...- Her mind wasn't foggy, she felt refreshed, but then it hit her. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so absurd.   
-I can't...feel my body...thats what's wrong...how...stupid.-  
  
Unable to see, Urei listened and could hear nothing. She lay there...beneath the towering tree trying to remember, and could not. She remembered nothing of before her Master, she only had a desire to escape, which dealt her more trouble and pain than anything else. But she could not stop herself...alone in the darkness, a tear squeezed its way out of her limp, closed eyelid...she had not even the strength to lift a weary hand and wipe away the droplet of salty water.  
She sighed...and her obsessively obedient body...lying limp and worn upon the gentle tree...almost...let go...then she realised. She was not alone. An...angel..?  
The Urei realised she could hear breathing, and instinctively opened her weary blue eyes...to meet the gaze of another pair of almost glowing, intense blue. Almost identical to her own...as their eyes met...the Urei let out a sharp gasp while the stranger flinched simultaneously. 


End file.
